Philadelphia, Part 6

Hi all

Here’s me closing the Philadelphia Series, Roth Open Swiss, round 1, deal 1. Barely awake, and Michael pushes me in a skinny 3NT. Hmmm, in a testosterone infused day dream, if all those skinny & skimpy contracts I play were actually scantily clad babes… Boy!, would my bridge life be the coolest ever. Cardboard reality, such an anticlimax.

West
North
East
South
1
11
pass
2NT
pass
3NT
a.p.
 
  1. Is this a vulnerable 1 overcall?
North
K962
75
AT875
K2
South
QJ4
AJT9
K4
Q764

There’s a glimmer of hope when my LHO decides to lead a fourth best . My Ace captures the Queen. An early inventory shows I have three solid tricks, so I need to set up six more. Two in and two in are easy, the rest should come from the minors, or something favourable in . I can count my LHO for almost everything outstanding. Now what?

I started by playing the King from hand and a low one via the Queen for … Wait a minute. Can I duck this? Should I take that Queen at face value? I start a small movie in my head. If I duck and West switches back to . I can’t really be hurt with whatever he switches to. But … the timing just feels wrong.

I decide to win it with dummy’s Ace, and switch back to . West wins his King and finds a switch necessary too: to a low . I ask for the King and slowly I creep towards my nine.

North
K962
T87
2
South
QJ4
T9
Q76

From here on it’s easy. I play a to my Queen and West wins his Ace. Back comes another and I let it run to my Jack. West follows to both my high and then a to dummy reveals the 4-2 split. I place West with a fourth round of and my Queen of is number 9.

Number 9! Cloud number 9. Number 9 dream. Perfume number 9. My mind is rattling with 9s in all forms and shapes. If there had been a crowd, it would have gone wild.

West Dealer
NS Vul
North
K962
54
AT875
K2
West
AT83
K873
Q6
AJ8
East
75
Q62
J932
T953
South
QJ4
AJT9
K4
Q764

Now I’m wondering. Was my play actually correct? Did stripping West from safe exits give me a return on investment?

Philadelphia, Part 5

Hi all

I’m back after a short break. But before the Santa Clara Regional begins, I have to finish up some Philadelphia stories. Here we go:

South
AKQJ
K9
AKQJ
A84

Not too shabby! I love it when I pick up my cards and the stream of face cards just doesn’t end.

West
North
East
South
 
 
 
11
pass
12
pass
2NT3
pass
34
pass
3
pass
45
pass
… 7NT6
a.p.
 
 
 
  1. Beowulf: 15-17 balanced, or stronger any shape
  2. 6+ hcp any shape
  3. 18-19 bal, GF
  4. Transfer
  5. Splinter
  6. That should be about right

I took some artistic liberty with 2NT, as it technically shows 18-19 balanced, but all I wanted to do was to establish a game force. I could always raise to slam myself if Geoff had no more than a simple raise to game.

Geoff did surprise me a couple of times during the bidding. First his positive response made my day a bit brighter (27-counts usually make me grin like a monkey in pairing season). And then his self-splinter over 3. At that point I figured Geoff had to hold very good trumps for a slam try opposite 18-19, because I’m holding everything else. Anyway, with my significant extras I had no problem emptying my bidding box.

West Dealer
NS Vul
North
5
AQJT854
87
T53
West
T643
62
T42
KQJ2
East
9872
73
9653
976
South
AKQJ
K9
AKQJ
A84

16 tricks from top. And a fistful of IMPs when the other table closed out in small slam.

Philadelphia, Part 4

Hi all

The picture below is courtesy Antony Lee (Bo Xiao on the left). I’m actually holding a coffee, but he sure did have a knack for eternalizing me holding my phone. Really! On all the pictures he took I was either checking BBO for the latest Spingold updates, texting my lovely wife, or giving in to my WordFeud addiction. Of course only outside the playing arena.


Here’s
a story on BridgeWinners that just left me awestruck, an enlightening and inspiring insight in the mind of Peter Fredin. The inferences and help I usually get from my opponents is more of caliber “sledgehammer”, not quite as subtle as Fredin’s analysis and projections. Take this one for example (Regional Pairs, July 18th):

South
T987
AKJT4
Q975
West
North
East
South
1
2
double
31
3
5
pass
62
a.p.
 
 
 
  1. Fit showing
  2. “Choo-Choo”

When my LHO helped me out by bidding 3 it was quite obvious Michael was holding a stiff . All aboard the slam train! This was the full deal:

West Dealer
All Vul
North
5
53
K643
AKJ843
West
AQ32
976
AJ987
6
East
KJ64
Q82
JT52
T2
South
T987
AKJT4
Q975

The opponents started with two rounds of , Michael ruffed, cashed both top and entered a crossruff for twelve tricks, and almost all the matchpoints. Probably some other West was less … disciplined holding two Aces.

Philadelphia, Part 3

Hi all

So here’s a small … kink from Philadelphia. Setting: Second day of the Spingold. Let’s call my RHO “Mad Bross”. I ask his partner for their convention cards and he hands me one. I politely ask if they have a second one for my partner, where “Mad Bross” responds: “You can share, we play very vanilla.” I say that the rules require you to hand over two cc’s. At this point he spits out: “Are you f*cking kidding me?”.

Fortunately his partner smoothly defuses the situation and offers to fill out a second one if desired. I let it pass, but the dark cloud at the table does not leave.

In retrospect I didn’t handle it correctly. I should have called for the director, nobody should be subjected to profanities. One of the directors confirmed with me that “Mad Bross” would have been given a Zero Tolerance penalty just for that. After that it’s three strikes and you’re out. Even famous players have to obey the rules. My bad for missing out on an opportunity.

It wasn’t all one way traffic against team Diamond. We had some pickups and system successes too. Not enough to make the match in any way exciting, but still. Here’s one:

North
A
AK73
76
T97542
West
North
East
South
 
21
pass
2NT2
pass
3NT3
a.p.
 
  1. Exactly four card in an unbalanced hand, 8-12 hcp
  2. Natural and invitational+
  3. Accepting, bidding my minor would have been a sign off
North Dealer
All Vul
North
A
AK73
76
T97542
West
J875
T85
A84
A63
East
QT643
J94
KQT2
8
South
K92
Q62
J953
KQJ

On a passive lead Geoff set up the suit and wrapped up 11 tricks for +660. Now at the other table things were less … sophisticated. Four passes in succession and that’s 12 IMP, thank you!